CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
"WHEN THE MANNERED DEGRATE LOOKS AFTER THE DEVIOUS WITCH."
JULY 24TH 1990
I sat in front of a dried blood-wearing Janine as we sat outside at the hospital. Watching people walk by and vehicles leave the parking lot. Since what happened yesterday. She hadn't really communicate, reckoning she was progressing everything and it honestly made sense.
I've never seen someone almost die infront of me and I couldn't fathom the thought of it. She wouldn't leave the hospital to get clean her or Jackie.
After we found out she was carrying a baby which she had a panic attack.Romeo's mother had to calm her down because Janine wouldn't talk. Dalvin went home to sleep and Donald well...Donald was acting like he wasn't worried but he was. He still like Janine.
Yesterday,
I flip through the Word Up! magazine as Dalvin & K-Ci , play the game. Donald shut himself in the basement after him & Dalvin got in their argument. He was mad that everyone knew except him. Which was a lie because if everyone knew he would've known.
Too soon?
He came out the basement and Dalvin looked from the video game.
"Dumbass." He mutters and Donald turns around looking at him.
"Dumbass, ya' big ass ears didn't hear me the first time?" I sigh closing the magazine and got up as Donald or DeVante whatever the fuck he was calling himself inching closer to Dalvin.
All of sudden we heard gunshots and Cedric drops to the floor screaming like a girl. It's crazy how I was the only one standing up.Even tall Do-DeVante...D. We'll just call him D. Was on the floor.
Once they stopped, Cedric clears his throat and got off the floor.
"Fuck that , Janine out there." Dalvin got up and hurrys out the house. D sighs and got up and yelled after his brother that was presumably running.
"We need new fucking friends Jojo." Cedric walks to the door and I chuckle walking behind him.
"Dalvin stop running." We heard Donald call after him but it was honestly too late. Dalvin shouldn't even be trying to be in the group. His ass need to be on the track team.
Once we eventually reached the block where Janine stayed on, we noticed the Ambulance and people swarmed around. Dalvin really hit this shit on the head.I started moving people out the way.Once I got to the front with Cedric and Donald was striving to pretend like he didn't care, the EMT's began to pull Romeo out. Even though this was still bad I let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm riding with him." I look at the blood wearing Jackie and Janine was standing on the porch steps dazed out. She had blood on her.
"Don't you think you should clean up?" Jackie scrunch her face up and pushes the woman with a little more might than I thought she had.
"I'm pregnant I need to be there. Shut the fuck up and save him." I drop my mouth but honestly I was looking at the dazed Janine.
"Ni you okay?" She looked at me and nodded.
" The Doctor's here probably tired of seeing our asses." I snap back from my thoughts as she chuckles from her sarcastic joke. I rub her back as she strokes her forehead.
" Are you okay?" She glimpses at me and shrugs. That's not an answer.
"I mean... I shouldn't be the one you asking. It's Jackie I'm worried about. I didn't even know she was pregnant. Also he lost a lot of blood. I mean I've seen shit but I ain't never see someone die in my face.I'm honestly...idk." She shrugs again and I nod. I understood she was still processing.
"Did Dalvin have a good birthday?" I look at her and she shook her head with her bottom lip popped out.
"I'll make it up to him somehow. He deserves it." I chuckle, shaking her.
"You would think you known Dalvin your whole life the way you making ends meet for his high eyebrow having ass." She laughs wrapping her arms around my neck , partly choking me.
"Stop it Joel, my daughter name with have yours in it. You my Bestfriend man. " I scrunch my face up nodding.
"Are you serious about the daughter thing?" She looks at me and nods,sticking her pinky out to promise me. I stuck my finger up to stop the proposition.
"Before I want you to do something for me." She nods and waits for me to tell her the favor. She's going to flip out but I don't care.
"I want you to either talk or write something to Donald for me. We're leaving soon with the demo and I honestly don't want you two holding this grudge. You never know when we're coming back and what's going to happen before then." She sighs and looks at me, guessing she knew she wasn't getting out of this. I stuck my pinky finger out with a wide smile.
She latches her pinky finger onto mine and nods.
"I promise JoJo."
" Girl you good?" I ask as Mariah sat in the roller rink with a huge bandage on, honestly, I wished it was from Janine.Who I hadn't seen since the last time we spoke. I frankly wanted to tell her I had nothing to do with it.
"Yeah never better, where you been?" I shook my head twirling my straw around in my dissolving mango peach smoothie.
"I been somewhere, what's with you & Faith asking me my whereabouts? I don't ask y'all? ." I question as she scoffs.
"Someone's on their period."
"No I'm just not the one to play with." She slid her cup to her face sipping loudly. Johnathan walks over and I smile.
Lately, I had been around just talking to him. Even though he was always around Aaliyah and her girls he always communicated and was a gentleman. Aaliyah was fortunate.
"Hey Johnathan." He smiles; grabbing her cup.
"Wassup Lauren, doing good?" I nod and he nods back.
"Good, I'll be talking to Janine later if that's what you want me to do." Mariah eyes broaden she looks at me and I smirk. Even though Johnathan just dimed me out. I didn't feel bad after all. What she did was fucked up and she still wasn't able to talk to Donald so what did she accomplish.
I really hope it was Janine who punched her in the face.
"Oh yeah I know you been plotting on my sister, if I wasn't a man I'll beat yo ass." He spat turning around. She rolls her eyes looking at me with her head tilted to the side.
"So you knew who Janine was? Faith told me you was a fake bitch." I scrunch my face up.
Faith told her I was fake?
"Yeah even though Faith tryna fuck Donald and told me you didn't know how to deal with him right. So if anyone is fake it's her. Fuck you & her. Both of y'all fake as the stick on nails you two have. And Janine knows it was you who told her business. I hope she beats ya' wack ass." I spat as her mouth drops. I got up and walk out the roller rink with nothing but confidence.
I was so done with her & Faith. I was better than the both of them and time will only tell.
"Lauren?" I turn around to Rashad and I smile walking over to him.
Rashad was an childhood friend who decided to move from a bitch with his cute ass and guess he was back for the competition that I didn't even know if I was still competing now but anyways he still cute to me y'all.
"Rashad? What you doing back?" He chuckles and let me go I guess analyzing me.
"Well ya know, My Grandma still down here. And you know the competition coming up . Just wanted to see what was cooking. You competing?" I chuckle and shook my head.
"Probably not." He sucks his teeth unleashing a disappointing groan. He so damn dramatic.
"Damn who imma cheer on La?" I smirk , looking down at my feet. But then I had an good idea.
"I know exactly who, I'll see you at the competition?" He nods, we hug again and I left.
"So you been with Joel." I coo his name performing little kissy faces at Lena as we sat on my porch. I hadn't seen Lena since she told Joel she had a crush on him and honestly I want all the details.
"Yeah we been having fun, he's really sweet and cool and collected. How are you & Johnathan I'm surprised he at work with everything that's going on." I nod at the thought. It didn't take long for the news to come that Jackie's house had been shot up and Romeo was still in critical condition and that Jackie was pregnant with his baby.
I honestly believed that Johnathan was working himself over so he wouldn't have to go and see Romeo like that. Johnathan known Romeo since he had been with Jackie so that was his brother to him. It hurt him and he wouldn't let me be there for him like he needed me. But I couldn't force him.
"Yeah I hope her & Janine is okay. Said when they walked out the house. They both looked halfway dead." Lena shook her head as I watch the next door neighbor walk out the door. He looks so creepy.
"Hey girls." He said smiling and Lena & I wave back slowly before providing a closed grin, once he got in his old pick up truck he pulled off.
"Creepyy." She sung lowly and I was with her on that, thank god I wasn't the only one that felt that way.
"He look like he into young girls and I ain't talking young adults." I snort and sip my water. Lena and this honest ass mouth of hers.
"So I heard some gossip and Li I know you have to know." I saw Maria walking up and I nod as she sat down as well.
"Wassup?" I sip my water , she looked at Maria.
"I heard that Janine was in jail." My eyes widen and I raise an eyebrow.
I'm guessing it did get out before Janine could handle it.
I put my phone down getting Donald's voicemail for the third time, I honestly had an attitude. So now he wasn't answering no one's calls?
One lying ass bitch and one thieving ass bitch.
"Wassup little cousin?" I look to Anthony and smiles.
Anthony was my favorite cousin.He always watched out for me and never failed me once , I haven't seen him lately but he looks fine.
"Nothing much what about you stranger?" He shrugs, folding his arms like a little child. He lying his ass off. Spoiled ass.
"You sure, you look like you got your candy stolen Ant." He blew out a large breath.
"Why are women so confusing? " I raise an eyebrow waiting for him to continue.
"Anthony you have an girlfriend?" He chuckles and nods.
"Trying to make her my girlfriend but she acting hard to get. I buy her food, I please her well. Whatever she want , she got it but she act like she don't want me." I shook my head and chuckles under my breath. Anthony and these women he pick.
"Well find someone else Anthony, if she don't see how good she got it then leave her and show somebody else what you have in store." He smacks his teeth. Of course his stubborn ass not going to do that.
" But I really like her Fi. I'm not talking about how I liked the other girls, it's something different about her. Ya' know?" I nod but honestly it was going in and out one ear. All I really had was Donald's eyes on my mind.
I really liked this boy but of course, he was acting stubborn. I'm over here shooting my cousin down and I was doing the same thing.
"You know what scratch what I said Anthony, if you want her. You get her." He smiles hugging me with all his might.
"Thank you Fi, that's why I like you so much." He smiles walking down the steps.
"Faith get yo' light ass in here and peel these potatoes!" I roll my eyes putting my
phone down and walked into the house.
Later On That Night ,
I walk into the store seeing that Dalvin fat ass decide to ask me to get him some snacks.
"Hey Sung Li." She smiles before waving. Sweetest woman out this race. Well her race.
I grabbed the bag of chips and the cookies that he wanted walking around the aisle . I walk up to the counter the door opens to Mariah. Hopefully she wouldn't come over to me.
My eyebrow raises to the shades she was wearing.Now I know I'm eyeballing her hard but damnit Mariah ain't never wore no sunglasses around me.
"Wait a minute." I walk to where she was standing and when I was about to tap her she jumped. I raise an eyebrow and quickly snatches the sunglasses off her face.
"Donald move." Her voice was husky and I peek at the bruise that was under her eye.
Now I know I've done nothing but hurt her but I couldn't look at her jumping and bruised up like this. It's not me.
"Get whatever you're going to get and come on." She grabs the ginger ale and the chips and I paid for it.
•••
"What happened Mariah?" I was now sitting on her couch and she was sitting on the other one with her bandaged nose and her bruised cheek bone.
"Why do you care?"My heart sunk and I look down hearing her sniff. I couldn't see her cry. I look back up and rubs my nose.
" Mariah just because I don't want to be with you doesn't mean I dont care for you at least? Now tell me. I'm trying to be a friend here." I said softly trying not to raise my voice at her. She's had enough hurt. She looks at me and wipes her eyes wincing.
"He...hit me." Her eyes began to flood with tears and I got up to give her a hug. Thankfully she accepted it.
"Shh...Mariah, it's okay. He's stupid okay? He's stupid and he needs help. You need to call your Father and you need to tell him." I rock her back forth as she let out her cries into my chest. Dalvin is going to kill me about these snacks.
"Donald...I'm scared. What if he comes back tonight?" I sigh opening my mouth already feeling myself regret what I was about to say.
"I'll..stay. Only tonight though." She nods hugging me again.
"Thank you Donald." I smile slightly and sat back down.
"You okay? Need your pillow fluffed?" I ask Jackie who was laying down in the hospital room. She nods looking over to Romeo who was still asleep from his surgery.
He lost a lot of blood and honestly this was my first time being here. I couldn't see Romeo laid up in the hospital. Romeo had to had been the closest male friend I had besides Timbaland & Sean. Romeo enlightened me a couple of things as well and I felt bad that I wasn't there to do anything.
"Yeah I'm okay John-John.Thank you." I chuckle kissing her forehead. Mrs.DeGrate informed me she was pregnant before she left and honestly I think I knew it,but couldn't quite say anything.
"She's coming around John-John. You should go see her tomorrow." I chuckle noticing she was speaking of Janine. I hadn't spoken to Janine since Wednesday. We were presumed to be speaking about what Lauren told me but Donald came over. I would think about it but I honestly don't believe it's for the best.
"I'll think about it Jackie. Sleep tight okay. Romeo is gonna wake up Alright? Romeo will not leave you before you two get married." She chuckles with me and I left out the room cutting off the light.
•••
"She doing okay?" Aaliyah questions as she redid my braids. We were in her Momma's living room but Momma Haughton was pulling back to back shifts at the Hospital.
"Yeah I know the shooting has traumatized her, her and Janine." I shook my head and wince at how fucking heavy handed Aaliyah is.
"You talked to her?" I shook my head before she popped me.
"How you gonna pop me and you asked me a question Aaliyah?" She chuckles and I chuckle under my breath.
The door was knocked on and the first thing I did was get up to some R-Kelly looking mothafucka.
"Just wanted to know if I could borrow some sugar." He smiles before I looked back at Aaliyah.
"Uhh...yeah sure." She got up and scurried to the kitchen and I sat down, cross examining him.He honestly looked creepy. He looked around the house.
"Nice house." I nod. Aaliyah came back and gave it to him.
"Thank you sugar, y'all have a good night." He turns around and walks off the porch she closes the door and locks it.
"He's creepy." She whispers and I nod back.
Very creepy and honestly I needed to watch him.
____________________
Jojo?
Janine?
Jackie?
Johnathan & Aaliyah vs. Aaliyah's next door neighbor.
The secret is out.
Mariah?
Faith is Anthony's cousin.
Donald you get a point for what you did this chapter but only if you knew what Mariah had up her sleeve.
Good luck Donald...DeVante.